A paper-sheet feeding unit used in a banknote counter or the like is configured to sequentially feed out, one by one, paper sheets (such as banknotes) in a stacked state, so as to carry the paper sheets outside.
A structure of a conventional paper-sheet feeding unit is described with reference to FIGS. 14(A), 14(B), 15(A) and 15(B). A paper-sheet feeding unit 80 as shown in FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B) include a feed roller 82, a gate roller 84 and a kicker roller 86. In such a paper-sheet feeding unit 80, a lowermost paper sheet P among a plurality of paper sheets P in a stacked state is kicked by the kicker roller 86 in the right direction in FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B), and the kicked paper sheets P are fed out, one by one, by a gate section 83 formed between the feed roller 82 and the gate roller 84. In the paper-sheet feeding unit 80 as shown in FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B), a gap is provided between the feed roller 82 and the gate roller 84. The gap corresponds to a thickness of one paper sheet P. The feed roller 82 is configured to be rotated clockwise in FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B) about a shaft 82a. A rubber member 82b is placed on a part of a circumference of an outer circumferential surface of the feed roller 82. On the other hand, the gate roller 84 is configured to be rotated clockwise in FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B) about a shaft 84a. A rubber member 84b is placed all around an outer circumferential surface of the gate roller 84. The kicker roller 86 is configured to be rotated clockwise in FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B) about a shaft 86a. A rubber member 86b is placed on a part of a circumference of an outer circumferential surface of the kicker roller 86. The paper-sheet feeding unit 80 having the gap between the feed roller 82 and the gate roller 84, as shown in FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B), is disclosed in JP3703598B and JP4680302B, for example.
However, when the paper-sheet feeding unit 80 as shown in FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B) feed out plural kinds of paper sheets P having different thicknesses and/or stiffnesses, there occurs a problem that the paper sheets P cannot be properly fed out, because of the gap between the feed roller 82 and the gate roller 84. Thus, the single paper-sheet feeding unit 80 cannot deal with banknotes of various countries. Thus, there is conventionally a case in which a paper-sheet feeding unit 90 as shown in FIGS. 15(A) and 15(B) are used.
The paper-sheet feeding unit 90 as shown in FIGS. 15(A) and 15(B) include a feed roller 92, a gate roller 94 and a kicker roller 96. In such a paper-sheet feeding unit 90, a lowermost paper sheet P among a plurality of paper sheets P in a stacked state is kicked by the kicker roller 96 in the right direction in FIGS. 15(A) and 15(B), and the kicked paper sheets P are fed out, one by one, by a gate section 93 formed between the feed roller 92 and the gate roller 94. Differently from the paper-sheet feeding unit 80 as shown in FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B), the gate roller 94 is arranged to be pressed against the feed roller 92. The feed roller 92 is configured to be rotated clockwise in FIGS. 15(A) and 15(B) about a shaft 92a. A rubber member 92b is placed all around an outer circumferential surface of the feed roller 92. In addition, a rubber member 94b is placed all around an outer circumferential surface of the gate roller 94. A torque limiter (not shown) is disposed between the gate roller 94 and the shaft 94a. When a force not less than a set torque is applied on the gate roller 94 in the circumferential direction, the torque limiter allows the gate roller 94 to be rotated in a direction in which the paper sheets P are fed out (feeding direction of the paper sheets P) relative to the shaft 94a. In addition, the kicker roller 96 is configured to be rotated clockwise in FIGS. 15(A) and 15(B) about a shaft 96a. A rubber member 96b is placed on a part of a circumference of an outer circumferential surface of the kicker roller 96. The paper-sheet feeding unit 90 in which the rubber member 92b is placed all around the outer circumferential surface of the feed roller 92 and the gate roller 94 is arranged to be pressed against the feed roller 92, as shown in FIGS. 15(A) and 15(B), is disclosed in JP4846716A and WO2008/072317, for example.
However, in the paper-sheet feeding unit 90 as shown in FIGS. 15(A) and 15(B), it is necessary to provide the torque limiter on the gate roller 94, and thus there is a problem that such a torque limiter increases a cost and requires an installation space. In addition, in the paper-sheet feeding unit 90 as shown in FIGS. 15(A) and 15(B), it is necessary to overcome the torque limiter provided on the gate roller 94 so as to rotate the feed roller 92, and thus there is a problem that reduction in size of a driving motor and thus the unit as a whole is difficult.
In addition, in the paper-sheet feeding unit 90 as shown in FIGS. 15(A) and 15(B), the rubber member 92b is placed all around the outer circumferential surface of the feed roller 92. In this case, after the paper-sheet feeding unit 90 has been used for a long period of time so that the rubber member 92b of the feed roller 92 has been worn away, it is impossible to exchange only the rubber member 92b such that a base body of the feed roller 92 is left as it is. Thus, there is a problem that the feed roller 92 itself should be detached by moving it in a direction in which the shaft 92a extends.